Ready Seniors

Each person's needs and abilities are unique, but every individual can take important steps to prepare for all kinds of emergencies and put plans in place. By evaluating your own personal needs and making an emergency plan, you can be better prepared for any situation. A commitment to planning today will help you prepare for any emergency situation. Preparing makes sense. Get ready now.

Create a Support Network

If you anticipate needing assistance during a disaster talk to family, friends and others who will be part of your personal support network.

Write down and share each aspect of your emergency plan with everyone in your support network.

Make sure everyone knows how you plan to evacuate your home or workplace and where you will go in case of a disaster.

Make sure that someone in your local network has an extra key to your home and knows where you keep your emergency supplies.

Teach those who will help you how to use any lifesaving equipment, administer medicine in case of an emergency.

Practice your plan with those who have agreed to be part of your network.

If you must evacuate, take your pets with you, if possible. However, if you are going to a public shelter, it is important to understand that animals may not be allowed inside.

Plan in advance for shelter alternatives that will work for both you and your pets; consider loved ones or friends outside of your immediate area who would be willing to host you and your pets in an emergency. Utilize the Disaster Preparedness for Companion Animals in Steuben County brochure http://steubencony.org/files/documents/petemergency.pdf to find pet-friendly hotels and other resources.

Encourage electronic payments for federal benefit recipients. Keep in mind a disaster can disrupt mail service for days or even weeks. For those who depend on the mail for their Social Security benefits, a difficult situation can become worse if they are evacuated or lose their mail service – as 85,000 check recipients learned after Hurricane Katrina. Switching to electronic payments is one simple, significant way people can protect themselves financially before disaster strikes. It also eliminates the risk of stolen checks.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury recommends two safer ways to get federal benefits:

Direct deposit to a checking or savings account is the best option for people with bank accounts. Federal benefit recipients can sign up by calling (800) 333-1795 or at www.GoDirect.org

The Direct Express® prepaid debit card is designed as a safe and easy alternative to paper checks for people who don’t have a bank account. Sign up is easy – call toll-free at (877) 212-9991 or sign up online at www.USDirectExpress.com

Signing up for direct deposit or the Direct Express® card is a simple but important step that can help protect your family’s access to funds in case the unthinkable were to happen. If you or those close to you are still receiving Social Security or other federal benefits by check, please consider switching to one of these safer, easier options today.